Zone Diet
The Zone diet, developed by Dr. Barry Sears, is one of the very few scientific weight loss diets that actually works by making sure your body gets the exact right combo of foods to get into the “fat burning zone”. It’s an extremely healthy way of eating and balances your proteins, carbohydrates and fats in a ratio that your body can use precisely for good health. Eating these foods will also help you to lose weight and stay slim because once you get into the zone you will lose the hunger cravings that plague most overweight people, you will have no desire overeat, and your body will actually process your food and burn your fat easier and far easier than ever before.
This clinically proven dieting plan not only helps you lose weight but can help reduce your risk of chronic disease, has anti-aging effects, and help improve both your mental aptitude and physical performance.
Foods You Can Eat With The Zone Diet
You can eat most anything you desire on this diet, but there are some foods that are favored and will work better than others. For example, starchy foods like pasta and bread and high sugar foods like cookies or cakes and even some fruits like bananas need to be eaten sparingly and carefully balanced with your protein intake otherwise they will elevate your insulin levels to a counteractive level which will in turn cause your body to store increased amounts of fat.
The way the diet works is you create your meals by balancing a certain amount of protein with a certain amount of low glycemic index carbohydrates with a certain amount of good or healthy fats. It’s pretty similar to any of the low-carb diets like the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, but it works more on the lines of getting the right ratios of the foods themselves.
So, with the Zone Diet you would be consuming a lot of lean protein items like fish, tofu, turkey and chicken without the skin along with “good” carbohydrates like vegetables and whole grains as well as the healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and almonds.
Pros
This study can actually help you look and feel great and is extremely healthy for you, not only to help slim you down but also to help boost your immune system and fight off disease and the ravages of aging.
There are all kinds of supplements, nutritional bars and even pasta and cereals that will get you in the zone.
Cons
It can be pretty difficult to balance your meals correctly every time, especially when starting out. This diet works best when you get the right amounts of proteins, carbs and fat in each and every meal and snack. When you don’t get the right amount, you get knocked out of the zone and are then subject to your usual cravings.
While you don’t have to measure or weight your food - you can do this diet by effectively eyeballing the foods - it can take a while and a bit of experimentation before you come up with the ratios that get your specific body into the zone. Once you do, however, it isn’t that difficult to keep eating in that fashion and be able to stay in the zone most of the time.
South Beach Diet
One of the most popular of the “good carb” diets is the South Beach diet invented by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D, a cardiologist who actually started the diet as way to help in fighting heart disease. Besides it being a healthy diet that can help your heart, it is also a great way to lose weight!
The South Beach diet is a nutritional way of eating healthy and delicious foods. It focuses on eating good carbs which help keep your blood sugar stabilized so you don’t get those peeks that cause cravings. These foods also help you feel full longer. In addition, it focuses on good fats like olive oil and emphasizes combining the proteins, fats and good carbs to make healthy and nutritious meals.
Foods On This Diet
The foods you eat on this diet include nutritious, low glycemic index foods that will not only help you lose weight but will improve almost all aspects of your health. Instead of white bread, you’ll be eating whole wheat but less of it. Love spaghetti? You can still have it but you might need to switch to the whole-wheat version as well.
Don’t worry, though, you really won’t have to give up your favorite foods, but you need to acquire a taste for some different versions of these foods that are just as delicious. Using olive oil instead of vegetable oil for cooking and avoiding trans fats are all part of the diet.
You’ll eat plenty of vegetables; especially the leafy green kind. With the South Beach diet, you might develop a whole new appreciation for beans and legumes.
If trying to prepare and cook these balanced meals seems like a lot of work, you can get the South Beach diet frozen TV dinners in just about any grocery store that will give you the exact amount of nutrients, carbs, fats and proteins that you’ll need to stick to this plan.
Pros
Of course, one of the big benefits of this diet is that it is extremely healthy. Not only will it help you lose weight it will cut down your risk of heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. You will also be getting a ton of vitamins and nutrients in the foods you eat.
There are websites that have all the tools you need to succeed. Some feature over 1000’s of recipes, weight loss strategies and hundreds of new plans that you can customize to the foods that you like provide you with a large variety of things to eat. When you make your customized menus, they can automatically generate a shopping list for you to take with you to the grocery store.
Cons
The South Beach diet works by eliminating “bad” carbs from your diet. Carbs not only pack on the pounds, but they also have an adverse effect on your blood sugar level and your overall health. One of the drawbacks to this, however, is that it needs to be done in three phases with the first phase being the most restrictive. It’s important to follow these phases strictly because the first phase is what gets your body out of the mode that it is in and into a healthier mode that actually burns more fat. This initial phase is what causes the most dislike among dieters. However, knowing that it only lasts a short while and that you will soon be able to add more foods into your eating regimen after you complete it is somewhat of a saving grace.
Ediets
Ediets is more than just a single diet program- it’s a dieters destination website! Inside this extremely informative diet community, you’ll find customizable diet plans and fitness plans that go with several of the more popular diets. There is a plan for your diet and your lifestyle.
Along with their own weight-loss plan which includes meal delivery service, you can use their tools and get information on the Atkins diet plan, the Mediterranean diet and the glycemic impact diet. They also have 11 different programs that will help you learn how to live a healthy lifestyle and stay fit after you lose the weight.
They also offer an interactive community that includes forums and advice, eDiets is loaded with tools, menus and food plans that are sure to satisfy any dieter.
Foods On This Diet
You can actually participate in several different diets through eDiets and they all have their different kinds of foods. For example, the Atkins and low-carb diets have a low-carb menu and the Mediterranean diet consists of Mediterranean foods. You buy and make your own foods for these diets and you can get recipes and shopping lists when you join the program.
In addition to these other diets however, eDiets has its own meal plan complete with foods that they deliver right to your door. The foods are nutritionally balanced and taste excellent, in fact they were rated number one for best taste and nutrition by Epicurus.
You get to choose from over 50 meals and desserts which are cooked fresh to order and delivered to you every week. The plan consists of breakfast, lunch, dinner and a dessert each day.
Pro’s
eDiets offers a good variety of diet types and it’s a great site to join if you need a lot of support. They have over 80 support boards where you can talk to new members just starting out as well as older members that have achieved success. In addition, you can get recipes and create meals online as well as a print out grocery lists.
With the meal plan you’ll get live support from a registered dietitian as well as a custom-made exercise plan from your own personal fitness trainer. You also get their video training and nutrition support.
Con’s
If you are the kind person like that likes to a interact a lot and doesn’t really need a lot of outside support then the fees for this might not be worth what you get.
While the meal plan is top notch in taste and nutrition, it can be pretty difficult to stick to a meal plan in real life especially if you’re always being invited out to eat or having events to attend. That being said, you don’t have to use the meal plan as you can do any number of diets through the site.